The Trial Of Sirius Black
by Laterose
Summary: Sirius' finally been caught, and the only people who can get him off are the victims, James and Lily Potter. Only problem is, they're dead... I need reveiws! Now Completed! *BOO HOO!* + thanx list.
1. Chapter 1

Hello and welcome! This is my first Harry Potter fanfic  - I think I might have dreamt it at some point! Anyway, basic idea, this happens after the Forth book. Please review! I've got three stories going at the moment – the one with the most reviews gets finished!

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 1

A loud screech woke Harry Potter with a start. There was huge eagle owl perched on the edge of his bed, with a red tag around its leg that meant 'urgent'. It dropped an official looking letter on the bed, then flapped off. Harry yawned. It was so early that the screech hadn't even woken anyone else. When he looked round he saw two more large owls. Both dropped their burdens and left. Hedwig still wasn't back from hunting.

Harry glanced at the two new letters. One, judging by the handwriting on the envelope, was from Ron and was stuck to a package, the other was sealed with the Hogwarts crest.

Harry opened the one from Ron first. What he read almost made him drop the letter.

Harry 

They've caught Sirius. Dumbledore gave him up so they would give him a trial. It's all in this copy of the Prophet; I had to send Hermes because Pig's not big enough.  They want you, Hermione and me at the trial. You might have already got the letter.     

Hermione's really upset, and I know you will be too, but I've explained it all to Mum and Dad, and Dad says to play it all by the book and Dumbledore will get Sirius off.

_Happy birthday_

_Ron._

  Harry stared at the letter for a few more seconds, and then ripped open the one from Hogwarts. It was, as he had expected, from Dumbledore.

_Dear Harry, _

_You will by now have heard that I informed the Ministry of Magic of Sirius' whereabouts and made them promise to give him a trial. I must tell you that I asked Sirius beforehand and he agreed. In case you do not understand, it is better this way. Sirius will be of much core use if he is proven innocent, but we have to do that first. _

_  You are expected at the trial. Someone will fetch you at seven o'clock in the morning on Sunday. Pack all your school things, you needn't return to your Aunt and Uncle afterwards._

_Albus Dumbledore_

Harry felt even worse. Today? What terrific timing. He flopped back onto the bed and rested his head on his arms for a few seconds. The first thing he saw when he looked up was the official looking letter, still lying on the duvet. He sat up and opened it, knowing what he would find inside.

_Mr. H. Potter,_

_Your presence is requested at the Ministry of magic headquarters by four o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday, July 31st at the trial of Mr. Sirius Black as a witness. Failure to attend is a criminal act._

_Signed,_

_L. Wattling_

Head of the Department for 

_Magical Law Enforcement._

  "As if I wouldn't show up," muttered Harry. "As if I'd leave Sirius to get chucked back into Azkaban."

There were only two hours before the 'someone' came to fetch him. Head till spinning with the contents of the three letters, Harry dressed, gathered all his school things and some extra clothes and tossed them into his trunk. When he was done, he settled down to read the _Daily Prophet _Ron had sent him. A large picture of his Godfather covered the front page.

Harry stopped reading after the first two paragraphs. None of the paper's writers, it seemed, were on Sirius' side. He started to wonder _how _Dumbledore was going to pull this off. The Minister, Fudge, no longer respected him. Almost the whole of the wizarding world believed that Sirius was guilty of selling Harry's parents to Lord Voldemort. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ceywen, Birdiethecat and Saphire, thanx for reviewing! Thanx to you – you get the next chapter!

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 2

It was almost seven. Aunt Petunia could be heard coaxing Dudley out of bed; she wanted to take him to church early so that she could show him off before the service started. Uncle Vernon was stomping around next door in his usual bad mood. 

Harry dragged his trunk and Hedwig's cage to his door and knocked on it loudly. His Uncle marched up to the other side of the door and bellowed; "What is it now?"

"Could you let me out please Uncle Vernon?" asked Harry politely.

"You're staying in that room until we get back from Vicar Harold's house!" Uncle Vernon informed him sharply. 

Harry's Uncle locked him in his room every night to prevent him stealing food from his wife's kitchen. Harry, however, had learned a few decent tricks from the Weasley twins, and made a visit to that same kitchen once a night. He was fifteen now, he didn't have to put up with this kind of rubbish!

"I have to go somewhere," explained Harry. He was about to explain, but before he could even open his mouth, the lock clicked, and the door opened.

"Go where?" demanded Uncle Vernon. Thinking quickly, Harry said: 

"I have to go and see my Godfather." It was sort of true anyway. Uncle Vernon went white. "Someone's coming to pick me up at seven," Harry went on quickly. "I won't be coming back 'till next summer."

Even the prospect of Harry going to visit a convicted murderer was overshadowed by the thought that they wouldn't be seeing him again for a whole year. However, the thought of another wizard coming to their house, which had taken weeks to make spick and span again after the Weasleys left last year, was definitely not appealing to the Dursleys.

"They stay outside," Uncle Vernon told Harry. Harry doubted that any decent wizard would want to come inside after a reprimand like that anyway. Dudley had locked himself in his room and wouldn't come out for anything. No one tried to persuade him. Harry thought that his Aunt and Uncle would have locked themselves in their rooms if they hadn't been sure that they needed to be downstairs to protect the crockery and furniture.        

The doorbell rang at seven o'clock precisely. Harry was waiting in the hall, and jumped to his feet. He ran to the door and yanked it open.

"For goodness sake Mr. Potter! You could have been a little slower with that door!" Harry gaped. It was Professor McGonagall. "Close your mouth boy! Fetch your things. The car's just outside." And with that, she marched into the house, and straight into the kitchen. Harry heard Aunt Petunia scream and couldn't blame her. Professor McGonagall had that effect on people. With the help of the driver, Harry managed to get his trunk and Hedwig's cage (which now had an owl in it – trust Hedwig to be late for something this important – into the massive boot of the car, which was a Ministry one and looked very odd among the well ordered houses of Privet Drive. The driver looked very solemn.  

Professor McGonagall emerged at last from Number 4. She looked a little flustered, and a few strands of hair were coming out of her tight bun. Doesn't she wear it any other way on the holidays? Wondered Harry. She gestured for Harry to get in the back of the car, and, to his surprise, so did she. The Ministry car zoomed off.  When Privet Drive was at last out of sight, Harry relaxed. Professor McGonagall, however, did not. "Are you all right Potter?" she asked him sharply. 

"Yes," said Harry, surprised. And then, after a pause he added, "are you?" 

We're not at school anymore, he thought. It's not like she can take any points from Griffindor now.   


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for your reviews! However, more reviews call for faster fingers! Please r/r!!!!!!!!!!

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling)

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 3

"Well…" tried Professor McGonagall, but she didn't seem to be able to find the words. This gave Harry a very weird feeling, but he had to ask her.

"Erm, Professor?" he ventured, "did Professor Dumbledore tell you? About Sirius I mean?" he couldn't see any reason why she shouldn't know that Sirius was innocent, but he wanted to make sure that she didn't think he was crazy.

Professor McGonagall shifted awkwardly. "Yes, Potter. He did," she said at last. 

"And you did believe him?"

"I would follow Professor Dumbledore to the ends of this earth, Mr. Potter."

It was clear that they were both feeling incredibly uncomfortable about being in this car together. Professor McGonagall because she was trying to escape the fact that she had been as blind as the rest of the world in seeing the truth of Harry's parents' deaths, and Harry because, well, first because she was his teacher, and not his favourite one at that, and also because he was incredibly aware of the Transfiguration homework he had slipped into his pocket to read through on the journey.

"I am sure that the judge will let Mr. Black go free," said Professor McGonagall, although it sounded as though it hurt her teeth to say it. "Lucas Wattling is a fairer Head of Department than…" her voice trailed off. Harry knew she had wanted to say 'Mr. Crouch'.

His worries hardly resolved, Harry resorted to staring out of the window. No one spoke for the rest of the journey.

They were the very last to arrive, but no one had been allowed into the Ministry building yet. There were protesters lining the streets, holding up signs bearing slogans like 'Black is bad!' and 'no more trial!' and, most alarming of all, 'death to the murderer!' The stairs that led to the great double doors were sealed off, and people who were due to enter the courtroom were standing or sitting on them. 

Harry kept his head down as he got out of the car and about a hundred cameras flashed in his face. The people on the stairs turned as all the photographers started muttering excitedly and shoving each other out of the way. Voices he recognised called his name.

Professor McGonagall's glare cut a small path in the crowd around them. Harry stayed close behind her, turning his face away whenever someone tried to take a picture of him, which was hard because the blinding flashes were coming from all directions. 

As soon as a harnessed looking Ministry wizard showed him and Professor McGonagall onto the stairs, Hermione ran to him and flung her arms about his neck. 

"Gerroff," he muttered. "You're bigger than me." Hermione stepped back, letting Mrs. Weasley have a shot. 

By the time Harry had managed to wriggle away from her, all the Weasley children were grinning like mad, apart from Percy, who was looking sombre. Fred and George were practically in fits. Harry would've liked to stick his tongue out at them, but thought it might be too childish, so he ignored them. He shook hands with Ron. 

"You all right?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," Harry lied. "You?" 

Ron snorted. "Not as much terrified as embarrassed," he said. "Why did they all have to turn up eh? I'll look really stupid with m whole family in the front row! It's not like this is nursery and I'm in the Nativity play."

"Funny," said Harry, "I always ended up as a tree in Nativities."

"Must have been a very small tree," said Ron with a smile. 

** OK! I know it wasn't a very interesting part, but I do tend to drag these stories out a bit so you want me to hurry up and get to the main point – does Sirius get off? Well guess what? I'm not going to tell you unless you review! That is what the little button down in the corner is, you know? You press it and then * **dun dun! * **You tell me how good you thought my story was! And if you don't like it, tell me why! By the way I don't really know what that thing with the tree at the end is all about. Maybe it's author's licence.   Oh yeah, and please review! And you can check out my other wonderful works as well! **


	4. Chapter 4

** Okeedokee then, next chapter! Another rather drawn out one I'm afraid, but hell – it doesn't matter – it's dramatic! I know 15 reviews isn't much **glares angrily ** but I think it's time for a thanx list.    

Kitsuneko – don't worry I will bring James and Lily in, well, James anyway I still haven't worked out what to do about Lily…**goes off swearing colourfully**

Also thanx to amazing typo, daughterofpadfoot3000, Meredith (no need to be so rude though), Ghandi the BFG (nice name),  Saphire, kelton, Darkwhiskers, Luna Daisy, NotSure, Ginny Anderson, and I've mentioned all the others. PHEW!**

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling)

Also, if anyone nicks any of my work, I have witnesses to the fact that I wrote this, and will some chasing after you with a big bloody axe. Well, now that that's cleared up…

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 4

When Harry looked around Ron, the first person he saw was Professor Dumbledore, who smiled at him. He came over to the two of them. "Good morning Harry," he said. 

"Is it?" Asked Harry, a little coldly. If Professor Dumbledore noticed the resentment in Harry's voice, he said nothing of it. Instead, he waved to someone over Mr. Weasley's shoulder. When Harry turned to see who, he saw…

"Professor Lupin!" he exclaimed.

"Certainly," said Remus Lupin, "you didn't think I'd miss it, did you?" Harry realised that of course he'd bee stupid not to realise that Professor Lupin would be there. After all, Sirius had been staying at his house…

"You didn't get into trouble did you?" Harry asked hurriedly. 

"Professor Dumbledore seems to have prevented my arrest for the time being," said Lupin, with a smile in Dumbledore's direction.

"They didn't… search your house?"

"Oh no," said Lupin. "He waited for them on the doorstep, went quiet as anything. Quite unnerved the fellows I can tell you."

Professor Lupin didn't need to tell Harry who 'he' was. 

"Listen," said Lupin, a little uncertainly. "Professor Dumbledore told me what happened at the end of last year. If he's out… well not many people will be happy about it but at least he'll be able to stick by you Harry."

"I'm fifteen!" said Harry. I can take care of myself." Ron snorted, Harry glared at him. Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I know that," said Professor Lupin. "But…" he seemed to be trying to shape his words so that they would appeal to Harry, "remember the Shrieking Shack? When we were walking back?" 

Harry winced. The memory of Pettigrew's escape still made him want to hit something. Professor Lupin was thinking of something else though. "When Sir – he told you when his name was cleared you could move in with him? Well, that's the sort of thing I mean. With a proper guardian," Harry noticed he leant a bit on the word 'proper', "you might not be putting yourself into so much danger."

"Well," said Professor Dumbledore, "we have to clear his name first, and that is not going to be as easy as it sounds." Harry just had time to think that it didn't sound easy at all, when Hermione cut in. 

"You mean you don't have a plan?"

"I have complete confidence in all of you, and in Sirius," said Professor Dumbledore. 

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry when Dumbledore turned away. Harry knew what he meant, it was just the sort of thing that Dumbledore always said, it didn't answer the question, nor was it particularly helpful.

They all jumped when the doors opened. So did all the newspaper reporters and photographers. They all began scribbling and snapping away at the three Ministry Wizards who came out. 

These can't all be from the Daily Prophet, thought Harry. There are even too many people here for all the Muggle newspapers. There must be people here from all over the _world!_

The Ministry Wizards didn't say a word, nor did they blink at the sudden flash of ten thousand cameras. They merely gestured at the people assembled on the steps, who followed them into a large Entrance Hall. The double doors were shut behind them, and the noise from outside subsided.

"If you would care to follow us," said one of them, "we will show you to the main room."

** Oh heck I'm sorry! I've reached my limit! I was going to get them all into the courtroom but it's 8:15 and my hands are dropping off. Oh well! You'll have to wait till next time! **BUT I won't write it if no one reviews, so there.** Thanks list at the top. Any suggestions for characters you want to see in the ffic are welcome. ** 


	5. Chapter 5

** Thanks to : Evil spappy pie, Meredith, kaylin, loguacious, Gil-Celeb and Moonywolf 

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling)

Also, if anyone nicks any of my work, I have witnesses to the fact that I wrote this, and will some chasing after you with a **_really really big_** bloody axe. Well, now that that's cleared up…

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 5

Harry looked around as the Ministry Wizards led them through corridors and up several flights of stairs. He didn't recognise some of the people walking alongside him. Some looked quite old. 

The Ministry Wizards stopped when they reached a wall at the top of a particularly long flight of stairs. When they stood aside, Harry and the others could see two doors, exactly the same and side by side. "Witnesses through the right door, spectators on the left," snapped one of the Wizards. 

Harry was starting to feel a bit sick now. Nausea was creeping up on him as he imagined the state Sirius might be in when they found him on the other side. Ron and Hermione, on either side of him, looked nervous too. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley waved to them, and followed several others through the door on the left hand side. The other Weasley children, including Bill and Charlie, **whom I haven't mentioned yet** followed them.

Harry tried to see over Ron's shoulder as they followed the Ministry Wizards through the right door, but he was too short. Once the people entering the room had spread out, however, he could see. 

He was just a bit surprised. It was a plain room with two desks and two more doors at the other end, nothing more. What surprised him was that when he turned around, the place where the left door should have been was covered in wall. His mind already occupied, he shrugged his shoulders and turned around. One of the Ministry Wizards was speaking again. 

"All defence witnesses approach right desk. All prosecution witnesses approach the left desk." 

Hermione grabbed Ron as he went to queue up in the wrong line. "Don't you know anything about court or law?" she asked him. "We're the defence, idiot!" 

Ron shrugged. Harry smiled despite himself. Trust Hermione to have read every single book ever written on law before she arrived, which gave her about two hours. 

They joined the right queue behind Lupin. The young Ministry Wizard at the desk was taking down their details. He raised his eyebrows at Lupin's name, but quickly recovered himself and pointed him through the right door. 

Harry was next. The young Ministry Wizard coughed and didn't look up. He was shifting a lot of paper into files and mopping up some spilled ink with his sleeve. "N...name?" he asked, dropping a pile of argumentative notes onto the floor.

"Harry Potter," said Harry. The young Ministry Wizard's head shot up so sharply his glasses fell off the end of his nose. 

"Er… a…are you s…sure you're in the r…right l…l…line Mr. P…P…Potter?" he stammered as he fumbled for them. "This is d…d…d…defence, you kn…know."

"Yes, I'm sure," said Harry, picking up the glasses from under a sheet of paper and handing them to the man. 

"You are p…p…positive?" said the young Ministry Wizard.

"Yes," said Harry, again. 

"V…v…very well," said the young Ministry Wizard, waving Harry toward the right door. 

Harry opened it. It led into an enormous, beautiful room. Paintings of Dragons, little imps, and what Harry could only imagine to be hairy angels covered the ceiling and walls. The roof was a massive dome structure, and benches rather like church pews lined the walls and the upper floor balconies. Harry could see eight red headed people filling one of these. He couldn't honestly be bothered trying to work out how they had got up there. When he looked down, he saw that the door he had come through led onto a bench, where Dumbledore and Lupin were already sitting. When he sat down, he could see the witnesses for the prosecution sitting on a similar bench about fourteen metres opposite them. Harry didn't worry about how they had got there either. To his right on a raised platform stood a high desk, and a long way to his left, past all the press and spectators, were an enormous pair of ornate double doors.

Ron came through the door next, followed closely by Hermione, and that was it. They five were the only witnesses for defence. 

About five seconds later, a gong sounded. Harry and Ron looked around for it. There didn't seem to be one in the huge room. 

The large double doors opened with a loud creak. Through them came a tall, middle aged man wearing sparkling white robes. The room hushed as he entered. "That's the judge," whispered Hermione. 

"Then where's his wig?" asked Harry. 

"Oh Harry," Hermione scoffed. "That sort of thing's for _Muggles_."

The judge made his way past the rows of  benches until he could sit at his raised desk. He gave the slightest of slight nods.

An immense cold washed over the room as two Dementors floated in. Between them, straight backed and clean shaven, was Sirius Black.

**Da da da dum!  Watch out, my axe is being re-sharpened for people who didn't review! Ahem, sorry, got a bit overexcited there.**


	6. Chapter 6

** Thanks to : Evil spappy pie, Meredith, dRaGoNfLy-PuNkPrInCeSs, Moonywolf Marauder and NotSure

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling) and I'm getting really sick of typing this up every time.

Also, if anyone nicks any of my work, I have witnesses to the fact that I wrote this, and will some chasing after you with a **_really really big_** bloody axe. Well, now that that's cleared up…

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 6

Harry held his breath as the Dementors marched Sirius up the gap between the benches. There were hisses and mutterings from the crowd on either side of them. 

Only those closest to the Dementors were silent and wary, watching the tall man walking between them, not meeting anyone's eyes. 

They stopped when they reached the raised platform where the judge sat, and only then did Sirius look up. Harry didn't know if he imagined it or not, but he could have sworn he had seen the man behind the raised desk shrink back a little from the look in those deadened eyes. 

At another miniscule nod from the Judge, the Dementors led Sirius to his own small flight of stairs, his own raised platform, and his own chair. 

This chair was unlike the chair that Harry had seen in Dumbledore's pensive the year before. There were no magical chains to bind Sirius to the arms of it – the Dementors did that themselves. Sirius sat through it in silence, gazing blankly into his lap.  

**No sick jokes please, this is a SIRIUS moment. All right, that was a rubbish attempt at being funny; it's not my strong point. On! **

As soon as the Dementors drew away and exited though yet another door, that this time seemed to have appeared into thin air, a remarkable change came over Harry's Godfather. He smiled. He relaxed into his bonds. He looked for the entire world as if he was precisely where he wanted to be.

Harry let out his breath in one quick whoosh. It was just the Dementors. Harry could understand that at least, he himself had been madly fighting with his instincts to stop himself either fainting, or casting a Patronus so big the room would have exploded. 

The Judge, meanwhile, was looking rather confused at Sirius' strange behaviour. His hands shook almost as badly as the young Ministry Wizard's had as he tapped his wand loudly on his desk. The room, which was now cursing in Sirius' direction, fell silent. 

"Mr. Sirius Black," said the Judge, in a voice as shaky as his hands. He's afraid of him, Harry realised. 

"Do you swear to tell me, Lukas Wattling, this courtroom, and the whole world, all the truth you possess?" Well, it's original, thought Harry.

"Yes," said Sirius simply.

"On what do you swear?" snapped Wattling. 

Sirius thought for a moment. We get to choose? wondered Harry. It all sounded a bit unorganised to him.   

"I swear on my honour, and the honour of my friend and teacher, Albus Dumbledore." 

"Nice going," whispered Ron. Several others were whispering frantically too, causing Wattling to bang his wand on the desk again. 

"Very well," said Wattling. His voice was no longer shaky. He appeared to have regained his wits enough to realise that Sirius was tied to his seat, and didn't have a wand. 

"You are charged with the murder of," he then read out a list of the Muggles most people believed Sirius had killed. The list ended in 'Peter Pettigrew'.  

"You are also charged for siding with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his powers, and betraying two members of the magical community, James and Lily Potter, to the Dark Lord's mercy." 

There were screams and yells of outrage from the crowd – most people hadn't known about that. Well, they did now. 

This time, Wattling's wand burned a hole in the desk when he tried to silence the crowd. Most people shut up when they saw that the edge of the Judge's pure white sleeve was singed. 

"How do you plead?" asked Wattling.

Sirius shrugged. "Innocent," he said. "I wouldn't be here if I wanted to prove otherwise would I?"

Ron sniggered. So, to Harry's surprise, did Lupin. He smiled when Harry looked at him. 

"Just like the old days," he said. 

Others did not share Professor Lupin's view, but this time the mutterings only lasted for a few seconds, no one wanted to see Mr. Wattling burst into flames before he announced Sirius' verdict.

**I know, I know, it's a rubbish place to finish, but I'm trying to make the chapters all the same length. No, I don't know why. Please please please please please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **


	7. Chapter 7

** You have your wish, Evil spappy pie! By the way that pen name suits you, you wouldn't set deadlines for me if you'd seen the homework I got landed with today. Oh well, never mind. Er… who else reviewed? Oh heck, I've already broken the internet connection, so thanks to EVERYONE and what'syourname, (you know who you are) I did read Perfect? and I meant bloodthirsty because of all the blood, duh! Sorry everyone, I'm feeling crabby. I must think happy so I don't chuck Sirius back into Azkaban straight away. OK…. **Thinks happy thoughts** **

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling and Marcus Porter and the tall man who doesn't have a name as yet) and I'm getting really really sick of typing this up every time.

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 7

"In that case," sniffed Wattling, "we shall proceed. I call the Head of the Prosecution to the stand." 

The Head of what? Thought Harry. Surely that wasn't what you called them? This was nothing at all like the films of trials he'd seen on TV whenever he got the chance to watch it. Was there going to be a Head of Defence too, instead of a Lawyer?

It was a man dressed all in black who took his place beside the judge at the table which suddenly had three chairs **mostly because I forgot to mention them before **. He was tall, spindly and wore glasses on the very tip of his nose. He also looked like the kind of person who had never smiled in their life. 

"Why does he get to go first?" Harry heard Ron ask. 

"He just does Ron, it's tradition I suppose," answered Hermione.

"You mean you don't know," grumbled Ron.

"Oh be quiet," said Hermione. 

The tall man was talking in a high reedy voice that made Ron giggle. Harry and Hermione both glared at him, so he shut up.

"I call Marcus L. Porter to the stand."

Lupin snorted quietly. Harry watched as a fat, middle aged man in a purple striped suit came to stand before the long raised table. He was so short his head nearly pulled him over backwards as he looked up to see the Head of Prosecution. 

They did the swearing thing with this man too, only he swore on his father's honour. It seemed good enough for the tall man, who was bending slightly over the table to see Marcus Porter properly. 

If Harry hadn't been so worried he would have found it funny. Ron obviously wasn't worried. He stuffed his fist into his mouth and shook with mirth.  

"How do you know Mr. Black?" asked the tall man.

"I went to school with him," said Porter. When Harry glanced at Professor Lupin he saw a look of disgust on his face. 

"You were in his year?" 

"Yes." 

"Then you also knew James Potter."

"I did."

"And you believe Black committed these crimes?"

"I do."

"Why?"

That one puzzled Porter. So far he had managed by answering questions with just one or to words. This time, he had to sing for his supper.

"Er…"

"Take your time Mr. Porter."

"Er... he were…"

"Yes?"

"He were the bad one," Porter managed. "Allus the one in trouble, he were. Both bright as buttons, but too different to be true friends, is what I allus thought."

"Can you give us an example?" coaxed the spindly man. Harry was starting to feel angry now. This wasn't evidence!

"Our table exploded one night," said Porter, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Fixed it to go in the middle of dessert, they did. All me luvly spotted dick, covered in dung. Fresh though, mind. Never one for second hand pranks, I'll give 'im that."

Ron choked on his fist. Hermione thumped him on the back of the head. "He was never at Hogwarts," she whispered to Harry. "He doesn't even talk properly."

Sirius' eyes were misted over, and he hardly recognised his own name when the Head of Prosecution addressed the next question to him.

"And did you set a dung bomb underneath the Hufflepuff table on evening in the middle of dessert, Mr. Black?"

"What? Oh er... yeah."

"What's he doing?" asked Harry. No one answered him. 

The tall man turned to the judge, a smug look on his face. But it isn't evidence, thought Harry frantically. It's just a schoolboy prank.

"But er… it wasn't my idea though," said Sirius suddenly.

"Yes it was!" shrieked Porter.

"Oh no it wasn't," said Sirius coldly. He didn't sound at all like a puppet when he said it in that tone of voice. "James was the one your Beater bashed in the head with a club after all."

"It was a sheer accident!" said Porter shrilly. He still had his concentration face on, he seemed to have forgotten to remove it. "And I suppose the fact that you won the game ten minutes afterwards means nothing to you?"

"Only because James wouldn't give up a Quidditch match for nothing nor nohow," said Sirius, deadly serious now. "You should have seen the mess in the Hospital Wing later, Porter. We had to get him new robes because the blood wouldn't wash out."

"Thank you!" bellowed the Head of Prosecution, as well as a man whose voice has never broken can bellow. "No further questions."

**Dooo dooo dooo!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahem. Sorry. Er… right, strange chapter this evening, probably a result of two much homework! Call the child authorities! **


	8. Chapter 8

** You all want longer chapters? I'll give you longer chapters! But you bring sin onto your own heads because they'll take me longer to write so there. Thanks to amazing typo, Meredith and Selenay. Only three? Boo Hoo! You lot are lucky I update at all with results like that!! Also thanks to Xia Sarrasri for putting me on your favourites list. Glad to see someone cares! **Glares at everyone else** I am considering all your suggestions and most of the characters you requested will be appearing later on in the fic. **

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling and Marcus Porter and the tall man who doesn't have a name as yet) and I'm getting really really sick of typing this up every single ****** time.

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 8

Professor Dumbledore stood up. He moved towards the desk, making most people in the crowd hiss in disgust as he took his place in the chair on the other side of Wattling. 

"Dumbledore's the defence?" Hermione hissed in Professor Lupin's direction. 

"You'd be surprised at some of the things Professor Dumbledore is qualified for," said Lupin without looking up.

"I don't get it," said Harry, taking advantage of the time Dumbledore was taking to look Marcus Porter over. "It's not evidence as to whether Sirius did those things or not. It's…it's…"

"Irrelevant?" suggested Hermione.

"OK," said Harry.

"It's procedure," said Lupin calmly. Harry thought if he himself were any angrier and confused, he'd be foaming at the mouth. "First of all they try to discover whether Sirius is the sort of person who would do those things in the first place, then we get on to the real evidence."

"But this isn't-"

"Shhhhh," whispered Hermione. Dumbledore had stood up. 

"So you believe that Mr. Black committed those crimes of which he has been accused, Mr. Porter?"

"Yes," said Porter.

"You believe that Sirius Black sold information to Lord Voldemort," everyone in the room flinched, a few of the women screamed, several younger wizards put their hands over their ears, "in regard to the whereabouts of James and Lily Potter, whom I'm sure you will remember from your own school days?" 

"What?" said Porter. "He did what?"

"I never said that Mr. Black did anything, Mr. Porter," said Dumbledore with calm malice in his voice. "I asked you whether you believed that he would betray his best friend to Lord Voldemort."

Porter looked at Sirius. Really looked at him. The two men stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity.

"No," Porter said finally. "Not James. Peter, maybe yes. But not James."

"Thank you," said Dumbledore politely, and sat back down. At a wave from the judge, Porter resumed his position on the opposite bench, milk white and shaking visibly. His whole character seemed to have been transformed by what he had just heard. 

The hush that had long since fallen over the crowd, became, if it was possible, even more sincere. Hearing this news once was one thing. It had made them angry. Hearing it a second time, from Dumbledore's lips, was something else. Now they were thinking, considering the possibilities. 

Everyone knew, or thought they knew, that Sirius had killed thirteen innocent people in his rage after Voldemort's downfall. That he had murdered one of his best friends, Pettigrew. But most of the crowd had known James and Sirius. Potter and Black. Black and Potter. Without each other, the names had hardly any meaning. 

Everyone thought they knew that Black had picked an opposite side to James Potter, but to do as good as murder him…

After Marcus Porter left the stand, the real prosecution was called forward. They were all either Aurors or ex-members of either the Magical Law Enforcement squad or the Department of Magical Catastrophes. All of them told the same story of how they had captured Black after Peter Pettigrew had been 'murdered'. Every time it was the same, as man after man swore on everyone's honour from their great grandmothers to their children.  

It got so boring in the end that Harry was stifling yawns, and Sirius actually did yawn, very loudly and obviously. 

The Head of Prosecution (Harry still hadn't figured out his name) glared up at him. 

"You have something to say?" he snapped in his unnatural falsetto. 

Sirius smiled again, quite pleasantly. "Only that you lot are boring me to tears," he said, making Hermione put her hands over her mouth. "They've all got the same tale to tell, Derny. Why can't you get off your backside and show us something new?"

Remus Lupin snorted into the sleeve of his robes, Ron had to stuff his fist into his mouth again. Harry didn't think it was funny. Any further and they'd put Sirius on trial for verbal abuse. 

Seeing the look on Harry's face, Ron nudged him. "Lighten up Harry," he said with a smile. "You can see he's got them worried by how nice he's trying to be. And some of the audience are smiling."

It was true. Trying to feel optimistic and glad that Sirius was capable of a joke, Harry returned his attention to - what had Sirius called him? Derny? It sounded like a rabbit's name to Harry. 

"My name is Dernicofitus," said the man angrily. 

Sirius snorted. "And that's too much of a mouthful for anyone but you and your mother to pronounce. I'd get it legally changed, if I were you."

Derni – what was it again? – went red as a tomato.

"I call Minister Cornelius Fudge!" he announced in exasperation, tearing his eyes away from Sirius' gaze. 

Uh oh, Harry though automatically, as the short, plump man in the trademark pinstriped suit and bowler hat approached the desk. Harry looked around at Dumbledore, and saw that his bright blue eyes were narrowed. 

For Fudge, they conjured up another raised platform and another desk, albeit a small one. It was a massive room after all, but Harry wasn't sure whether it grew a little every time they added something new. 

Cornelius Fudge swore on his honour and on the honour of his wife, Delaine Fudge. What a stupid name to get stuck with when you've got a first name like that, Harry couldn't help thinking.

"Would you now proceed to relate to us everything you know on both of these matters, Minister," said Durnicofitus.

Harry thought for a moment that something might have gone wrong inside his head, because all he could think was: why don't you just say 'get on with it then'? Save a lot of time and effort. 

But then he realised it was probably because he was trying to take too much in, and didn't have any space left in his memory. 

He made a mental note to himself to buy a pensive, next time he was in Diagon Alley, and tried to concentrate on what Fudge was saying between nervous glances at Dumbledore.

Harry had heard it all before. He didn't know why he was even bothering to listen. He knew it was all wrong anyway. The only thing was that as Fudge spoke, everything he said just seemed to fit into place. It made sense. 

Harry found himself almost trying to believe the story, everything from the point where his parents had made Sirius their Secret-Keeper, past the point where they died, and back to the part everyone had already heard too much about, where Sirius supposedly killed small, stupid, innocent Peter Pettigrew.

But that's not what happened, Harry repeated to himself over and over again, that's not what I want to believe. He's innocent, and when he's freed we'll have a place of our own, just me and Dad's best friend…

And then it was over. Durnicofitus stood and bowed to the judge, Mr. Wattling. "That is all the prosecution has to add, sir," he said shrilly.

"Very well," said the judge. He looked like he'd been dozing off several times during the repetitive witness accounts earlier. "Will the Head of Defence please call his first witness."

**All right, there you go, five solid pages, three more than usual. If you want them longer than that you'll have to wait for weeks at a time! No, I don't hold grudges and I love writing this story because it's one of my most terrific **fans herself** but hey, gimme a break, I'm only human. If I put on my super shoes and gloves of glory  **what the…** I might be able to post another chapter tomorrow, Sunday, the only day I DON'T have to go to school! Yay! Love Laterose.**   


	9. Chapter 9

**Lo y'all! That's more like it! 10 reviews, _so_ much better than three. Just 46 more and we'll have a hundred! C'mon, take pity! I'm addicted to reviews!

Evil Snapple Pie – You have a sense of humour too! Thanks!

Louie – How may exclamation marks d'you need mate?

Silver angel – you're not catching me out that way – I'm not telling you the ending! Mind you it prob'ly will be good _if _everyone reviews!

BumblebeeBucy – guess again! You need to wait till next chapter – didn't I say I liked to draw things out? I promise the next chap will be the one, and the one after that will prob'ly be the most exciting!

Selenay  - thanks again! Sorry if I keep spelling your name wrong!

WeasleyTwinsLover1112 – I'm a lover too! I have obeyed!

Shrieking Beast - why does everyone always want Snape? **sigh** I guess I'll have to put him in eventually.

Amanda – Glad you care so much!

Hyperwriter – Thank you very much. **Giggles at the formality, but you were just as bad. **  

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling and Marcus Porter and the tall man who doesn't have a name as yet) and I'm getting really really really really really sick of typing this up every single ****** ***** time.**

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 9

At last. Dumbledore was smiling and Sirius had relaxed even more into the chair he was bound to. 

"I call Remus Lupin!" said Dumbledore loudly. Lupin flashed them a grin as he wriggled his way off the bench that was so much like a church pew. He sat down in the chair that had been conjured for Fudge. No one argued. 

"All right there, Padfoot old friend?" he asked Sirius.

"As well as can be expected, Moony," he replied. 

Harry wondered for a moment why they were using their nicknames – was nothing sacred? – but then he realised that when this was over everyone would know about how Sirius, James and Peter had become animagi anyway. 

"Professor Remus Jarrett Lupin, do you swear to tell me, this court and the whole world all the truth you possess?"

"I do," Lupin (_Remus_, Harry told himself) told the judge.

"On what do you swear?" 

"I swear…" Remus Lupin thought about this for longer than anyone else. After a while he whispered something in the ear of the Ministry Wizard standing guard over the desk. The Wizard looked confused, so Remus repeated whatever he had said. The Wizard hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Remus took a deep breath. 

"I swear on my honour and on the honour of Sirius Black."

Everyone in the room gasped as though they were a single being. The judge sniffed, his nostrils flared.

"You wish to swear on the honour of the accused?"

"I do." Very slowly, Wattling sat back in his chair. He nodded to Dumbledore, who began.

"Most of the wizarding community believe that Sirius Black is a murderer, and worse," he began. "There are, however, a selective few of us who believe otherwise. Remus, if you would care to relate to us your story – omitting nothing, if you please."

And Remus did. The story went on for a whole half an hour, several small details Harry had not heard before were added. 

Harry was able, if only a few times, to tear his eyes away from Remus, Dumbledore and Sirius to look at the press and spectators who were listening with rapt concentration. He tried to discern from their faces what they believed about Remus' story, and what they did not. 

Several of them looked afraid or ashamed. The majority were shaking they're heads, as though listening to a child try to explain where the jar of biscuits had disappeared to. 

When Remus got to the point where they had revealed Peter Pettigrew in the Shrieking shack just over a year ago, nearly all of them frowned, a few suppressed giggles, as if they thought Remus might have lost a few marbles. A few people snorted every time he mentioned Harry's name.

Harry didn't really blame them. He, Ron and Hermione had thought the same at the time after all. But Harry knew Sirius. He knew that he would never do anything like the horrors the previous witnesses had described, whereas all of the surrounding witches and wizards believed Sirius to be simply a cold-blooded killer, someone with a heart of stone and a deranged mind from twelve years spent in Azkaban.

 It didn't matter to them if Sirius was guilty. Goodbye and good riddance would be their watchwords, but if he got off, in their opinion, that put their family in danger, their homes at risk. It was safer not to believe the werewolf.      

Remus ended the story with how Sirius had fled, but not in any great detail, returned and was now staying, in theory, with him. 

Dumbledore thanked him with a smile and a nod, but a rather strained smile nonetheless. Harry suddenly hoped Dumbledore wasn't going to go in any detail about why Sirius had returned to Britain. 

He didn't feel that it would be an incredibly good idea to mention Voldemort's return to power at a time like this, when almost everyone assembled was on the edge. They'd never get anyone to come back in.

Dumbledore, however, either didn't consider the time to be right, or, like Harry, considered the matter too delicate for anyone's ears at the moment. 

Remus, his job over, grinned half-heartedly at Sirius, who smiled, and made his way back to the bench. "Well done," whispered Harry. 

"I now call Ronald Arthur Weasley to the stand," called Dumbledore. Harry patted the now green-looking Ron on the back as he squeezed past. 

Defiant to the end, Ron also sat down behind the minister's desk. No one had removed it after all, and it would be a shame just to leave it there and let witnesses just stand before the raised platform as Porter had done. 

Besides, it made it easier for everyone to see. Ron wasn't going to throw away the chance of a bit of fame. Harry didn't begrudge him it. 

"Master Ronald Arthur Weasley, do you swear to tell me, this court and the whole world all the truth you possess?"

"Um… yes." 

"On what do you swear?" 

"Er… on my honour…" 

"C'mon Ron!" Hermione whispered frantically. 

"And the honour of my Dad…"

Harry could hear Fred and George's whoops faintly from the balcony.

"…Arthur Weasley," Ron finished.

"We are told that Peter Pettigrew posed as your pet rat for many years," said Professor Dumbledore.

Ron snarled quietly. "Yeah," he said, "three years, before that he was my brother's."

Harry wondered whether Percy was having daymares about that in the balcony above. Or maybe not. Percy was the sort of person who wouldn't believe anyone about these things except those in highest authority, namely Cornelius Fudge.  

"And you believe everything the previous witness recounted?"

"Yes."

"You saw your pet rat Scabbers return to his original shape as Peter Pettigrew."

"Yes."

"What would you say if I asked you whether Harry Potter was your best friend?"

Startled at the change of subject, Ron glanced briefly at Harry before replying:

"Yes."    

"And you believed once, did you not, that Sirius Black was looking for Harry to take revenge for the Dark Lord's downfall?"

"Well, yeah I s'pose so," said Ron, confused by the tirade of questions everyone already knew the answer to.

"And then you discovered otherwise…?"

"Ron waited for a moment before realising Dumbledore was prompting him. "Yes, er… he faked his death again so it looked like Crookshanks, that's Hermione's cat, had eaten him. We found him again in Hagrid's house in the milk jug. Sirius knew where he was so he dragged me into the secret passage under the Whomping Willow. He broke my leg, but it was my fault really and Madam Pomfrey fixed it quick after we came back."     

"How did you get back?" 

"Pettigrew cursed me. I got knocked out. Next thing I knew I was in the hospital wing."

"Thank you," said Dumbledore in dismissal, and Ron nearly ran back to his seat beside Harry.

"Good on you," Harry told him. Ron was shaking. 

"Hell, it's like having a staring contest with a basilisk," he said. "He sees right through you. I don't think I've ever seen this side of Dumbledore, the political side. He's nothing like himself."  
  


"And if he were a basilisk, you'd be dead," Harry reminded him.

** I love Sundays! The only bad thing about them is that they are always preceded and followed by school days. Come on you lot, round it up to a hundred and I'll love you all for the rest of my life! Well, make it better than three anyway. I am so never going to forget that. Enjoy these chapters while you can, if I don't get an exceptional amount of reviews you might not see another one till next weekend at the earliest. And now I get to go and learn French verbs. Oh, the joys of homework on my only day off! **  


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello!  Today, most of you get your wishes, yep in comes Snape! I am sick however of fics where Snape has a good side. Snape is Snape, and will remain so. Amen. Thanks 4 your reviews. Kate, if you're reading this…. it's about time! Oh wow! I love you Marauder, thanks for dedicating chapter 13 to me! YAY! **sniffles**

Marauder – Thank you! **sniff sniff** you're great! I've never had anything dedicated to me before. Oh and yeah, it is Jarrett. Well, his first name is Remus, it had to be something yucky. Actually, come to think of it there was a horrible boy in my first school called Jarrett… oh bother. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

F0xyness39 – Oh no! I'm sorry! I didn't want to offend you! Can you forgive me?

Hyperwriter – yep. It sucks like hell. Kate will tell you – oh yeah, she' not here YET (hint hint Kate, hurry up…) Saturday school is the pits, and we get stuck with some of the worst lessons on earth too. AAGH. 

Angie – thank you. 

Evil Snapple Pie – You make me laugh every time.

BumblebeeBucy – YES! Thanks!

Selenay  - oh good! 

WeasleyTwinsLover1112 – Yes doesn't it suck? You get a CHOICE? Oh you evil person. I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT! I don't even like France. Spanish is cool, mind.

Amanda – Thank you! You're the best!

Littleginblossom - No I can't, can I?

All characters are property of J.K. Rowling (except Mr. Wattling and Marcus Porter and the tall man who doesn't have a name as yet) and I'm getting really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really sick of typing this up every single ****** ***** time and next time I probably won't even bother.

The Trial of Sirius Black  - Chapter 10

Hermione was called next, as 'Miss Hermione Virginia Louisa Francesca Granger'.  She was trembling noticeably as she swore, very seriously it seemed, on the honour of her father. 

(Stupid way to do things, thought Harry. Does this mean that if we're found to be fibbing, everyone will dishonour the people we name? Is someone taking a record of this?)

Dumbledore asked Hermione something different. He asked her to recount exactly how she and Harry had helped Sirius escape. Her voice was shaky, but loud and clear, so that everyone in the room heard her words.

Harry listened in silence, watching the strenuous actions of his shoes with great interest. Ron shifted uncomfortably, and Remus seemed even less relaxed. 

Harry didn't really want the whole world to hear about his mistake on the edge of the forest, when he had mistaken his future self for his father. He didn't particularly want that many people to know about his Patronus. 

He was glad Hagrid wasn't there, because when Hermione told everyone about Buckbeak, Harry thought the gamekeeper might have fainted.

Harry's shoes were not so interesting that they could cut out Hermione's nervous voice telling how they'd got Buckbeak away from Hagrid's house before his execution. He sighed. He knew whose turn it would be next.

He noticed dimly the sound of voices coming from behind the door Harry had come through earlier – a lot earlier it seemed – but didn't really take any notice, until the door opened. Hermione continued speaking. She, and jus about everyone else not on the defence bench could not see who came through the door. Harry, Ron and Remus Lupin looked around at him. It was Severus Snape. 

Ron choked again. Harry gave him a hard thump on the back, which cut a fit of coughing short.    

Snape nodded briefly to Remus, who nodded formally back, and sat down, rather reluctantly, next to Ron. 

Ron shivered and started to inch away slowly, but Harry punched him in the side, where Snape couldn't see. 

When Ron looked up at him in surprise, Harry pointed with his eyes. Snape's face, although as sour and pale as usual, was haggard and the skin hung around his eyes in folds. There were lines where there had been none, and the hardness in his eyes had increased. 

Snape sneered when he noticed them looking at him. Neither boy had expected anything less, but Ron couldn't resist rolling his eyes obviously in Harry's direction when Snape returned his attention to Hermione. 

The audience's reaction when Hermione came to Harry's Patronus was mixed. Some looked impressed, others disbelieving, the rest downright shocked. The look on Snape's face was impassive and solemn, Harry kept checking at intervals.

The part after that, the actual escape was brief. Harry suspected Hermione was running out of voice, he certainly would have been by now. 

"Thank you Hermione," said Dumbledore with a smile and a nod. It was almost as formal as Ron's dismissal had been.

"See what I mean?" hissed Ron.

"Yeah," Harry whispered back, not really listening. He was waiting for his name. Hermione sat back down between him and Ron, her eyes widening at the sight of Snape, who didn't even look at her. 

"Are you here to testify, Professor?" Hermione asked. Ron gaped at her bravery.

"Not in the least, Miss Granger," said Snape's icy voice. "I merely came to see the outcome. Let us hope the judge is sensible, I have never seen Dumbledore in a more dangerous mood…"

Harry and Ron stared, dumbstruck. What had he just said? Was that a civil answer, coming from Snape's lips? Surely not, although by the look on his face he'd be more than happy if they cursed Sirius into tomorrow on the spot. But Snape hadn't finished.

"He may well get the convict out in a more subtle way, and then Wattling will wake up with his throat cut one morning."

That was a bit more like Snape, although he hadn't yet insulted Hermione once. 

Maybe he's been too tired to think up any new ones, Harry thought bitterly. He must be running out by now. 

Harry had used to think that Snape spent every spare second he had rifling through the thick volumes of Igor the Insulting, making notes on his work, but he doubted it now. Hermione had found a copy in the library once, and all three of them had been in fits over it. Snape's insults were never funny.

"Harry Potter."

Harry got to his feet. Ron patted him on the back as he squeezed past Remus Lupin, who gave him a smile. Like Hermione and Ron he sat down behind the second desk, where everyone could see him properly. 

They were staring. Gaping open mouthed. This proves a lot, realised Harry. Just the fact that I'm here defending him shows something must have happened.

"Harry Potter," Dumbledore began, but Sirius cut across him.

"He does have a middle name, you know." 

Harry froze. A middle name he's never even thought about it. Did he really have one?

"Oh?" said Dumbledore, interestedly. 

"Yes," said Sirius. He sounded as though he was merely commenting on the weather, but rockets were going off inside Harry's head. Here again, was something he had never known about himself that had been kept secret from him, until he was fifteen. And for what? 

"I don't know why I mentioned it really," Sirius went on. Lucas Wattling's face was going steadily purple; evidently dangerous criminals were usually not permitted to speak out of turn. 

"Only it seemed a shame, when everyone else's gets a mention. I bet he doesn't even know about it, do you Harry?"

"No," Harry managed to croak, but no one heard, so he shook his head.

"It's James," said Sirius, his eyes never leaving Harry's. "Not that much of a big deal I suppose, only I was there, I should know."

Harry's heart sang, and he didn't know why.

"Very well," said Professor Dumbledore, solemnly. Harry wasn't sure whether he had winked or not. "Harry James Potter, do you swear to tell me, this court and the whole world, as much truth as you possess?"

"Yes," said Harry, hoarsely. His voice was almost gone before he'd even started speaking. 

"On what do you swear?"

Harry had been thinking about this, mostly during Hermione's Bible of a story, and he already knew.

"I swear on my honour and on the honour of my godfather, Sirius Black."

Dumbledore smiled, Sirius' face lit up with happiness, and the crowd gasped as one. Harry saw Ron's hand give him the thumbs up, though it looked blurred. He wished he could take his glasses off to clean them. 

And then came the questions, one after the other, non-stop from both men, all ones he could answer but wasn't sure he could explain. It reminded him of his Transfiguration orals, only he hadn't had time to revise. 

Some were easy; yes, that was true, no, he hadn't deliberately left his father's invisibility cloak at the foot of the Whomping Willow so that some one passing would pick it up and come to look for them. 

Yes, he believed Voldemort had returned (he got a few screams out of that one) and no, he didn't think Sirius would ever betray him to anyone.

At the end, his jaw was aching, his head was spinning as it did whenever he walked out of an exam, and his heart felt like it was both sitting at the bottom of his stomach, and thumping away inside his sore throat as he realised there was no one left. The verdict would come any second now.

**Muwahahahaha! Muwahahahahahaha! I am the most evil person in the world! Muwahahahahah! Oh man, I have always wanted to do that! 

You-ou want to know what happens ne-ext! He he he! Ha ha ha! Muawhahahahahhahahahah! 

Ok, I'll make a deal. 15 reviews, and the next chapter'll be up Saturday night. Deal? Good-o! Love Laterose. **


	11. Chapter 11

**I know I am evil, muahahahahahhahahahahahah! Sorry everyone! 

Mind you, I nearly had a heart attack when I checked my stats and saw that I had 20 MORE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Normally I would love to say thanks to every single one of you, but you do want this chapter, right? 

DO NOT skip to the bottom because you will ruin everything. Let's just say that this is the chapter where things get a bit anti-technical, things happen that make you think: Hang on, what has that got to do with the price of avocados in Australia? 

Evil Snapple Pie, I am so sorry! You should have told me you were leaving! Well, I'm writing it early extra special because all of you REVIEWED!! I love that word! I giggled like hell when I got over my heart attack enough to read them. 

Those of you who said you felt as nervous as Harry when you read it, that's incredibly spooky because I felt exactly the same when I was writing it, even though _I_ know what's going to happen!  

Oh yeah – And I notice when people say things about me between coughs! Only joking.  ~  

Harry Potter is not mine, although a few characters and _all the ideas _are my own invention so there. Hey look, a new disclaimer! Well, with no further ado…**

 The Trial of Sirius Black Chapter 11 – The one you've all been waiting for!

It felt as though ice had slipped down his shirtfront. Harry's glasses were steamier than ever, so that he could hardly see much beyond his nose. He took them off and wiped them quickly on his sleeve. 

All three men, Judge Lucas Wattling, the Head of Prosecution, or Denicofitus, and Professor Dumbledore were seated at the desk 

Wattling shifted through his notes during a long silence. There was no Jury. The Judge made the decision.

**Are you shaking in your shoes?**

Harry was taking deep, calming breaths, he could see Sirius doing the same if he lowered himself slightly – Sirius had his head in his hands. 

They had to let him off. There was just too much evidence to do otherwise. Professor McGonagall had said that Wattling was a fair judge. He just had to believe them.

"Sirius Black," said Wattling, making Harry's heart jump into his throat again. "I ask for one final assurance. All the defence witnesses insist that you are an animagus. If you would care indulge us?"  
  


"What? Now?" said Sirius, a little worriedly. Oh dragon dung, thought Harry. What an incredible time to tell us he has stage fright. 

But Sirius obeyed, switching into his massive, black canine form for a few seconds – several of the Dementors moved forward when the ropes came lose – and back again. 

More shuffling of notes. 

**He he he, you thought something was going to happen then, didn't you?**

Harry, who had given up trying to control his brain by now, found himself thinking about Buckbeak the Hippogriff's trial one and a half years before. 

The judge then hadn't been fair, but that was only because the representatives of the Department for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had been blackmailed and bullied into it by Lucius Malfoy. 

Harry couldn't help wondering whether someone might have blackmailed Wattling, although he didn't seem the type of person who would put up with blackmail. But what if someone had done it _really well_? What if the Malfoys had…

Harry's thoughts were cut short by the sound of Wattling's voice again. And it wasn't a 'final assurance' this time. This was IT. The crowd was holding it's breath.

"Mr. Sirius Black, in my name, in the name of the Ministry, and in the name of the entire Wizarding community, of the crimes for which you have been accused, I pronounce you…

**_Guilty._**"

Sirius collapsed. So did Ron and Hermione. Lupin slumped so low on the bench he nearly fell off it, Harry couldn't see Snape's reaction. 

Dumbledore stood up, with a look on his face that told Harry to stay put and stay quiet. 

Harry couldn't have spoken if he'd tried. He was absolutely dumbstruck. What had he said? No way. There must have been a mistake. 

Harry's worst fears were confirmed when the Dementors moved slowly towards Sirius. The man was shivering, his hair hiding the haunted eyes that Azkaban had given him. 

The Dementors put a rotten, scabbed hand each on Sirius' shoulders, the chains fell away, and Harry snapped.

He stood up, drew out his wand from his belt, and yelled in a voice that made the whole room jump, and Sirius look up, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!" 

The enormous, silvery stag erupted from Harry's wand. Several people fainted, Harry didn't even notice. He watched in awe as the biggest Patronus he had ever created stormed towards the Dementors accosting Sirius. 

The stag roared and charged the two hooded figures of despair. They both disappeared with a puff of grey smoke that made Sirius choke.

The silver animal roared yet again, but did not leave the raised platform, as Harry's other Patroni had done. It turned neatly on its back legs, and looked Sirius right in the eyes. 

Sirius stared. The stag slowly bowed its head, and Harry could tell by the look on Sirius' face that he recognised it as his old school friend.

The whole room watched as Sirius put out his hand to pet the animal's head. 

Harry wanted to tell him to stop, the others had _definitely _vanished when he'd tried to touch them, but he couldn't speak, his throat was caught, he was so excited and afraid.

But the Patronus did not disappear. Sirius' hand went through it, and he drew it back very quickly. 

Without even looking at Harry, the stag leapt with an enormous spring onto the desk where the Judge and Denicofitus were sitting. Dumbledore had also sunk into his seat in shock.

Paper flew everywhere off the desk as the stag's silver hooves hit the wooden surface. Those hooves seemed solid enough, or was it just human flesh that passed through it?

The stag roared again, and as it did, it's tail and areas of it's back legs turned brown. It was turning into a real stag!

Harry thought he might have fainted if he hadn't been so drawn in to everything that was happening. That stag was part of him, and if he fainted now, it would go, he was sure, or at least until it was fully changed. 

As it was, Harry could hear Ron's voice telling Hermione to 'wake up you bloody idiot, you're missing out!' and Sirius looked like he might fallen over if the chains around him hadn't still been loosely holding his torso in place.

The stag was real up to its chest now. It was like having a crazed bear on the rampage. It never left the desk, but each bellow made the glass in the small windows shudder, and a large crack was appearing under the true stag's new weight. 

The patches of brown fur crept up to its neck; past its jaw, round the eyes, which were suddenly a deep shade of brown. At last, the tips of the ears were transformed into apparently living flesh, and the table bellied in the middle. 

The stag sprang off it, so gracefully that it might have been made of air, to land before it, still on the raised platform. The room watched it as it shook its head, massive antlers waving at them. It pawed the wooden floor of the platform, as if unsure of where it was. 

Sirius was on his feet. No one tried to stop him as he climbed out of his seat and went tentatively towards the beautiful animal that had just materialised somehow out of Harry's wand. Harry wanted to go too, but his feet seemed to be stuck to the floor.   

The stag reared. It's hooves came dangerously close to Sirius face as he shielded his eyes with his arm. Before anyone knew what had happened, Sirius was a huge black dog again.

Harry cried out suddenly – the stag would have even less trouble finishing Sirius off in this smaller form – but at the sight of the dog, the animal seemed to calm down. 

A few people, Harry couldn't see whom, breathed sighs of relief as the stag's feet hit the floor. The dog stayed where it was, and then, slower than it had ever done before, blurred into Sirius. 

Harry thought he might be sick. _The stag was blurring too. _

It stayed a stag for a few seconds only before a man stood before them. 

It was the unmistakeable, fully grown form, of James Potter.

** I won't say anything (much) because I know how you'll all be feeling towards me right now. I was going to do more but I now have to spend a few hours trying to work out why cells are rectangular. Did you like it? Well, then, let me know! See the little blue button? **


	12. Chapter 12

** Oh come on. I didn't think it was _that_ much off a cliffy. Oh well, you lot certainly know how to keep a girl writing. And I have the whole of Saturday afternoon.

Can't you think for yourselves? Does there have to be a reason for James being there? Well, I suppose there does, but you could just say that there was no reason really, he just didn't feel like being dead anymore.

I'm glad you liked it! I hope you will like this one too. I am really sorry ESP. I wish you could be here to read this (and review it) I didn't think you were leaving so soon! Oh well, you can read it when you get back.

I am in a weird mood because I just got back from school and we're doing _Romeo and Juliet, _and I was playing watsisname, Romeo's cousin, and then we watched the video and the guy who played my part was _slimy._ Ewwwwwwwww!

PLEASE DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND **_NO GOOD CAN COME OF THIS_**_ ? I can't find it anywhere, and I can't remember whom it's by._

Anyway, I have blabbed enough now. Onto the tale!

The Trial of Sirius Black Chapter 12

The room went still. Harry wondered whether anyone was still conscious – he certainly didn't think he was. The form of James Potter was indistinct and blurry around the edges, and kept flickering in places. 

It was like watching an especially bad pirate copied video, like the ones Dudley had brought home last summer, and claimed that his friends had given them to him as an early birthday present. Aunt Petunia had insisted that he bin the lot.

Sirius and James Potter stared at each other, and then Sirius took a step back. 

"James?" he whispered.

James Potter looked down at himself. He looked around. He took in where he was, and the thousands of people watching him  

Remus had moved around the platform until he could see his friends clearly. 

James Potter looked around at him too. And then he spoke.

"_Oh not again_."

His voice sounded distant, like ancient church bells a few miles down the road. At his words, Sirius grinned, Remus ran forward with as much speed as he could muster, Harry sat down again with a thump, and Denicofitus fainted. 

James looked around at Sirius, his eyes bright and gleaming. He was smiling now, a happy smile that made him look suddenly like the man Harry recognised from his photos. "_Sirius!"_

Sirius reached out a hand, but James drew back. "_Don't bother_," he said in that oh so distant voice. "_It'll just go right through me. Being dead does that to you."_

Sirius smiled weakly. James turned to Remus. "_Remus! But – how did I get here? _Why_ am I here?"_

Both men looked straight at Harry, who stood up again, his knees shaking, his legs like jelly. But if he couldn't face his own father, who could he face? Certainly not Lord Voldemort.

James Potter's eyes lifted to see Harry. He wasn't wearing glasses, and his robes were simple, black, like Harry's school ones. 

He squinted. "_Harry?"_

Despite himself, Harry smiled. 

"Yeah."

_"What on earth did you do?"_

Harry felt as if he'd been slapped.

"I was only trying to stop the Dementors from murdering Sirius!" he exclaimed. "Not much of a big deal, then!"

_"Harry, calm down." _That voice could have made Harry do anything. He calmed down.

The ghost, or whatever it was, of James Potter suddenly looked frantic.

_"What? Murdering you? What the hell for? What did you do this time?" _ The question was not aimed at Harry, which was good because he knew he wouldn't have been able to answer if it had been.

Sirius turned away, not meeting anyone's eyes. Harry suddenly saw that he looked old, and strained. But Sirius wasn't old. He wasn't even fifty. 

_"What happened?" _ James asked Remus. _"This looks like a court room."_

"It is," said Remus, his voice quiet, but not enough that the whole room couldn't hear him. "Sirius was on trial. They – they think – they think he sold you, James. To Voldemort."

_"What?????"_

"You heard."

_"But…but… didn't he tell them? That we switched?"_

"Yes," Harry heard himself saying, before Remus could say a word. "But who'd believe him?"

James Potter started to laugh. He laughed so long that several of the witches who had fainted when he'd arrived were awake by the time he'd stopped.

_"You fools" _he said when he could speak._ "You complete idiots!" _

"I use stronger words," Remus whispered to Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled.       

_"Sirius Black? A Death Eater? You're out of your minds, the lot of you! Peter Pettigrew's the traitor, little vermin. I hope you found him," _he added to Sirius, who still wasn't looking his way. _"Wait, Sirius, what's wrong?"  _

He stopped laughing, and a hard look of concern spread across his face. _"Tell me." _Sirius only croaked and shook his head. Harry got out of his seat and came to stand next to his Godfather. Sirius grasped his arm so tightly it went white. 

"The whole world thought it too, James. Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban for Peter's crime, and the murder of twelve Muggles," said Remus, even softer.

_"Oh hell. Sirius…"_

"They thought I killed Peter too," said Sirius after a long pause.

"Then why didn't you tell someone? Before…" 

"I didn't have time. Before I could tell Dumbledore, you were dead." He gestured vaguely in Dumbledore's direction, and James jumped.

"It was all my fault, even so," said Sirius in a choked voice. "I should have guessed…" 

"_Oh shut up. I'm dead, and there's nothing you can do about it. And I still can't believe they thought you were the Death Eater!"  _

Harry was starting to feel a bit left out of this conversation. He had been alive then after all, and he _was _the one who had done this after all. He wanted to talk to his father, to see if he could remember anything about what had happened the night of the Third Task.

As if it could read his thoughts, the indistinct form of James Potter looked up at him. _"You got back all right then? Your mother's been frantic. We never get any decent news out of old people, and everyone else who dies hasn't got a clue."_

"So it was you," said Harry in awe, wondering why his father was being so formal. He was dead after all. Maybe he was a bit miffed at having to come back a second time.

James snorted. _"Who'd you expect, the Gripper?"_

"What?"

_"Oh never mind."_ He lent in closer, so that he could see Harry properly, and then turned around when Remus muttered something. A pair of glasses zoomed in through one of the windows and landed in Remus' hand. He passed them to James, who raised his eyebrows at his old friend. 

Remus shifted embarrassedly. "I found them. I was on the site first thing in the morning, after they'd cleared – after the place was cleaned up a bit. You probably think that's sick…" Harry gaped. He'd never heard Professor Lupin say 'sick' before.  

_"Not at all. What's sick is that you've kept them all this time," _said James with a smile. He put the glasses to his eyes. He had to hold them there, because otherwise they fell straight through his nose. Then he had a good look at Harry. 

"Wow. He's like someone squashed me up so I was much shorter and then painted a nasty mark on my head."

"Yeah," said Sirius, with a grin that showed all his teeth. "Poor kid."     

Harry smiled at them both. 

"If I may," said a cold voice from some where behind Remus. "I think that verdict still stands, unless someone else wants to offer some more proof?"

It was Snape. James stared at him. "He's right, Dad," said Harry quickly. The word sounded strange coming out of his mouth. "They've already said he's guilty."

"Well stuff that. I'm the one that was killed, and I say he's innocent."

Everyone looked at Wattling. He was so white you could have written on his face in white pencil and it would have shown up.

His notes were strewn all over the floor, the desk on which he lent was cracked. 

_"I say, did I do all that?"_ said James in a would-be-innocent voice.

"Yes," said everyone. 

**OK, that's where I'm leaving it for today. And you CAN'T tell me that's a cliffy. OK, well maybe a little one! Muahahahaha! REVIEW!!!!!!** 


	13. Chapter 13 & Epilogue

** OH NO! It's the final chapter! What shall I do? OH well, go ahead and read it, silly! ** The Trial of Sirius Black – Chapter 13 

Wattling still didn't speak. His eyes bulged. Harry felt like slapping him.

_"He's being blackmailed,"_ said James suddenly.

"How do you know?" Said Remus, with a crooked, if somewhat nervous, smile.

 James just looked thoughtful for a moment. _"I dunno. Maybe it comes with being dead."_ He winced at the look on Harry's face. _"Sorry Harry."_

Dumbledore leant down, so close that his nose was almost touching Lucas Wattling's. "Well," he asked dangerously. "Are you?"

Lucas Wattling shivered under Dumbledore's gaze. Then, as though a great force pushed the words from his throat, he grunted, "yes."

There was uproar. Almost everyone in the whole room was on their feet, yelling and stamping their rage. Sirius turned and smiled toothily at them. "Now, you see what you can do once you're roused," he said.

Someone, it sounded like Fred Weasley, started a chant, and slowly every single person in the hall except Wattling, Dumbledore, and Sirius took up the words.

"Black, Black, BLACK, **BLACK**, **_BLACK!"_**

****

Harry and James, still chanting, looked at each other. Then they started to laugh. They laughed for what seemed like an eternity, with the people's cheers ringing in their ears.

"Who's famous now, Potter?" said Sirius when they had calmed down enough so that their voices could be heard.

_"And who's that question meant to be addressed to?" _Said James with a grin_. "Me or Harry?"_

Sirius shrugged. "Either. Who cares?" He went red with embarrassment as Hermione, apparently awake now, jumped onto the platform and hugged him. 

The big gong sounded again. But was it the same one? It sounded deeper.

James' shadowy form flickered, way out of proportion, and then back again. Everything went silent. 

_"Oh bother,"_ said James. _"I have to go."_ He was doing his best to sound unworried, but his voice caught in his throat.

No one answered. Harry wanted to protest. He was his dad. He couldn't go now. He wanted to ask questions, he wanted to have a real family again… but even as he thought it the words sounded stupid inside his head. 

"_Goodbye Remus. And… Sirius. Good… good luck, you know with Voldemort and that sort of thing. Professor,"_ he nodded in Dumbledore's direction. And then…

_"Harry,"_ the shade of James Potter said. _"I… we miss you. We love you, always remember that. Be brave Harry. Be careful."_

"We'll watch out for him, James." That was Sirius' voice. Harry didn't register it. 

_"Harry,"_ said James Potter more urgently. _"I love you. Your mother loves you. I'll always be here."_ He held out his hand. 

When Harry touched it, he felt cold rough skin, so solid, so real… and then he was gone. The tears welled up in Harry's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He forgot how long he stood there, with Sirius' and Remus' arms around him as he gazed unseeingly at the empty space, the wooden floor where his father had stood, littered with parchment and spilled ink.

At last, Dumbledore came over to the three of them. "Well, I've talked it over with Wattling," he said cheerfully. "Sentence is overturned. Sirius, you're free to go, though I'd try not to run into too many people before tomorrow's newspaper comes out or you might get mobbed."

"Come on, Harry," Sirius whispered in Harry's ear. "Let's go _home_."  

EPILOGUE

"At last," said Lily, as she watched her husband blur into himself beside the fire. "I thought you might be down there forever." James smiled at her. He sank down onto the sofa next to her. "So tell me what happened," she said eagerly, snuggling up beside him. "Where'd you get hauled off to this time?"

"Well, actually it was Sirius' trial," said James with a grin. Lily gasped. 

"Oh no! What did he do this time?" 

"That's what I said. Apparently, now you'll never believe this, but they thought that Sirius was the Death Eater…" and they laughed until the sky turned grey.  

** **Sobs energetically into handkerchief** It's the end! NOOOOOO! Oh well, at least I can now get stuck into something else. So do not despair, dear readers, I will be back! So go read my other stuff! When everyone has reviewed to my satisfaction, I will post a thanks list. I hope you liked it, but I guess you did or you wouldn't have bothered reading this far, sorry if it was a bit soppy, but it's kinda unavoidable in situations like this. Thank you all!!!!!! Love Laterose.**Waves until hand really, really hurts.** ** 


	14. Thanx List

**Awwww. do you lot really wanna sequel? ...........  
  
**thinks really hard about this for a few hours or so.**  
  
All right then! You got yourselves a sequel! Watch my profile for when it's up. Yeah, but erm.. Some ideas would be nice..  
  
THANX LIST  
  
Here's to every single one of my reviewers, and the special ones who stuck with me (nearly) from the very beginning. (Or I just thought their reviews were inspired. **giggles**)  
  
THESE ARE NOT IN A PARTICULAR ORDER  
  
Evil Snapple Pie  
  
NotSure  
  
Amazing Typo  
  
Marauder  
  
Hyperwriter  
  
Meredith  
  
Moonywolf  
  
Bumblebee Bucy  
  
WeasleyTwinsLover1112  
  
Foxyness39  
  
** OK! Well, I guess I'd better off to write the sequel now. So much for the easy life. Love, for the last time on this chapter, Laterose. ** 


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